(OMG I FINALLY FILLED THIS THING!!! \o/ LOL)

The snow mobile had been kind of fun.

At least, until they had run out of gas.

The snow shoes made Tony feel like an awkward stork, and he started to complain about muscle cramps after less than a mile.

Gibbs rolled his eyes but promised to find a different kind of transportation.

True to his word, he found an old farm house in the middle of nowhere, and actually managed to trade the snow shoes for some cross-country skiis.

Tony wasn't much happier, especially since the damn things were worth a whole lot of nothing in the waist-high snow drifts. Once they reached the road, though, they tried their best to move at a decent pace. It wasn't easy, and it took a lot of effort, and so Tony started to complain again before long.

Gibbs merely glowered, but found them a place to stay for the night. The elderly lady in the small house near the road was surprised to find uninvited guests at her doorstep, especially in this weather, but allowed them to sleep in the living room near the fireplace, and even made them a hearty breakfast the next morning.

Tony was tired and cranky, and his entire body hurt. He was about to complain again as they were about to leave when Gibbs whipped out his wallet and asked their host if she'd be willing to loan her horses for a little while. He promised to have them back as soon as he could.

She was only too happy to help out "two fine Federal Agents" and agreed, then bustled into the kitchen to pack food and water for the men.

Tony complained even louder at the idea of having to ride a horse.

Gibbs merely glowered again, bundled up and then fought his way through the snow to the barn to get the horses ready.

They made it to the outskirts of DC around mid-afternoon, and Gibbs left the horses with a friend who owned a farm and bred horses there.

Tony suggested grabbing a sleigh, half-heartedly hoping that he could sit on it while Gibbs pulled him, but Gibbs' friend only grinned at that and showed them an old horse sleigh he kept hidden in his barn.

And so it was a sight to behold as Gibbs and Tony came trundling into the Navy Yard, sitting in a beautiful, horse-drawn, white sleigh with merrily tinkling bells announcing their arrival, about 36 hours after they had been called back for duty.

"This is the last time we're spending Christmas in Stillwater," Tony muttered as he climbed out of the sleigh and awkwardly patted the horse's neck. "At least next time we're taking a four-wheeler, not your Charger."

Gibbs only grinned. Nobody could have guessed such a nasty snow storm would attack the entire East Coast, rendering all roads, railways and airports pretty much useless. He thought it had been a fun adventure--though next time, he'd try to convince Tony to skate up the Potomac.